A major concern in running a business and working from home is the feeling of being constantly alone. It is not something that one notices in the first weeks or months working from a home office. It can sometimes take several months before it is noticed. Even though the signs are not always evident at first, the feelings may still be lingering in the back of your mind. It takes place when the excitement of your freedom and being your own boss eventually wears off. You start to feel like you are being tested on your sincerity and ability to actually accomplish your business tasks and goals. You start missing the coffee room chat at what was your office space Toronto, or the ability to walk over to a friend’s desk to ask his or her opinion on what you or working on – or just to ask how last night’s date went. You even begin missing the same faces you saw regularly on your commute by public transit, or that person at the coffee shop downstairs from your office who always made your coffee with a smile and friendly greeting.

What many people fail to understand is that those business and social interactions are all part of our support infrastructure that their downtown Toronto office space offered them. Some of the interactions were important to how you accomplished and gained valuable feedback on your work (whether from co-workers or supervisors). It is not until that social support group is gone do we realize just how important it was to our success.

Here are 5 ways to head off the feeling of social isolation in your home office.

When you take a break, go for a walk. Getting out of your home office every day can break up your routine and also help you to get important exercise for you body and your mind.

Get into the routine of going out for lunch a few days a week. You may even try working an hour a day from a coffee shop. Tim Hortons has free WiFi and lots of regulars you can get to know on daily basis.

Consider renting a part-time desk at a Co-working office Toronto. These types of environments can be a cooperative place to work and an ideal setting where you can build a network with other self-employed business people.

Create your own co-working space by sharing your home office with another home-office user. This type of arrangement my help you feel like you’re in a regular office space Toronto environment.

Come up with ways to get out of your home office and benefit from it. Doing a few hours of volunteer work a week is one way to get out of your office and may even give you a chance to network with other volunteers who have home-based businesses that face similar challenges.

Whichever mechanisms you choose to break up your day and avoid the feeling of isolation, you have to make them a routine and stick with these strategies. Keeping the isolation feelings away will also improve your productivity.